


The Gift Of The Corbae

by heuradys



Category: Charles de Lint - Newford series
Genre: Gen, Yuletide, challenge:Yuletide 2007
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-28
Updated: 2014-03-28
Packaged: 2018-01-17 06:52:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1377946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heuradys/pseuds/heuradys
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Christmas Eve in Newford.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gift Of The Corbae

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sophia Prester](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Sophia+Prester).



> Thanks to The Amused One for the quickie beta!

 

 

It's Christmas Eve in Newford. Cody pulls up to the curb in his big white Lincoln Continental, flicks cigarette ash out the open window as he turns off the engine. He smokes while it pings and cools, watching the snow fall through the trees. There's someplace he'd much rather be, but he's been asked here. He doesn't have long to wait.

Two big crows spiral easily down from the treetops. They land as girls; one stands beside his open window with an over-stuffed black plastic trash bag, the other is sitting on the Lincoln's hood and peering at him through the water-speckled glass. They're grinning.

"Cody! You came." 

He takes another long drag from his cigarette, nods, greets them on the exhale. "Maida. Zia." 

"We've got something for Margaret," Maida announces, shaking the bag. "Promise you'll give it to her." She looks stern and fierce.

"What is it?" Cody's sure he looks doubtful, because Zia's making puppy-eyes at him through the windshield, and ain't that a sight on a corbæ. 

"She'll love it," Zia says. "Veryvery much."

"We love it veryvery much, but Raven won't let us keep it." Maida pouts, glaring over the car toward the upper floor of The Rookery. "He's being terribly unfair."

"He's not getting into the Christmas spirit at _all_."

"But you will. We're so veryvery sure." 

"Because you call Margaret 'darling' and dance with her." 

"You can even say it's from you!"

"But you have to promise!" 

Now they're both making puppy-eyes, and Cody's wondering somewhere in the back of his mind whether Ray's paid them a visit in that crow skin he tried on a while back to teach them that trick. "What is it?" he asks again, reaching for the bag, although it's too big to fit through the window.

Maida shifts it so it's behind her back. "Nuh-uh. Promise first." 

Cody's still not sure, being Cody and dealing with the corbæ and all, but he knows these girls would never do anything to hurt Margaret. "I promise I'll give what's in that bag to Margaret," he says.

Zia whoops happily and slides off the hood. "She'll be veryvery happy, Cody!"

"Veryvery!" Maida darts around to the passenger side, opens the door, stuffs the bag inside, then slams the door again. 

Before Cody can react, they're gone, nearly invisible in the darkness, winging back to the giant elm behind The Rookery, cawing gleefully. Cody starts the car as he contemplates the bag. He prods the wet plastic gingerly; it gives with a rustling noise. He thinks about tearing a hole, but instead he carefully works the knot open, reaches a hand in carefully...

He pulls out a handful of shiny garland and loose tinsel — mostly silver, but all the colors of the rainbow — and laughs.

 


End file.
